D Gukesh experienced a challenging turn of events, facing his third consecutive defeat at the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025. The latest loss came against 16-year-old Turkish chess prodigy Ediz Gurel in Round 7. The 19-year-old Indian Grandmaster had previously lost to Abhimanyu Mishra and Nikolas Theodorou. The match against Gurel was marked by intense competition, with both players navigating a complex mid-game. Gurel made a minor error on move 27, but the game remained sharp with both players trading queens on move 29. Gukesh’s position worsened after move 40 due to a significant error. He then sacrificed a bishop for two pawns, a decision that backfired, leading to his eventual loss. Following the defeat, Gukesh was visibly distraught, holding his head in his hands. He later extended his hand to Gurel to concede the game, marking his third consecutive loss in the tournament. Gurel expressed his satisfaction, describing the game as ‘crazy tough’.
